Non-refillable bottle.



PATBNTED DBC. 29, 1903-.

E. T. GURRAN. NoN-REFILLABLE BOTTLE.

APPLIUATION FILED MAY 2B, 1903.

2 SHEBTS-SEEET 1.

N0 MODEL.

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No. 748,051. PATBNTBD DEG. 29, 1903.

GURRAN. NoN-REFILLABLB BOTTLE. APPLICATION FILED MAY 28, 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

N0 MODEL.

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Patented December 29, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD T. CURRAN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y..

NON'- REFILLABLE VBOTTLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 748,051, dated December 29, 1903.

Application filed May 28, 1903. Serial No. 159.178. (No model.)

.To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD T. CURRAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Non-Rellable Bott1es,of

which' the following is a specification.

My invention relates to non-refillable bottles, and has for its objects to produce a device of this character of comparatively simple construction which will 'be efficient in operation, one which will prevent the fraudulent relling of the bottle under ordinary conditions, and one in which when thebottle is once emptied of its contents successful refilling of the same will be indicated.

To these ends the invention comprises the novel details of construction and combination of parts more fully hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a vertical longitudinal section through a bottle embodying my invention Ain its preferred form. Fig. 2 is asimilar view of a modification. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective View of the flap-valve. Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are similar views of modifications of the same. Figf? is a vertical longitudinal section of a bottleneck provided with cork-supporting members. Figs. 8 and 9 are detail views illustrating a modified form of valve for controlling entrance to the indicating-chamber.

Referring to the drawings, l indicates a bottle com posed, preferably, of glass and comprising a body 2 and an integral neck 3, which latter has its side wall adjacent to its longitudinal center bnlged outward upon one side, as at 4, and indented, as at 5, at a point opposite the upper edge of the bulge, thus forming in the neck an upper corkreceiviugchamber 6 and alower valve-receiving chamber 7, com* municating with the upper chamber by means of a reduced tortuous discharge-openin g 8, the lower chamber 7 having disposed therein a freely-movable spherical valve 9, the purpos of which will presently appear.

l0 is a circumferential ledge or shoulder uponthe interior of the neck, preferablyat its point ofjuncture withthebody, said ledge consisting of a removable ring'of glass or the like maintained in position by frietional engagement or by the use of cement. Pivoted to one side of the ring IO at its normally upper edge-is a flap-valve 11, composed of any suitable material and adapted to normally `seat upon the ledge to prevent entrance of liquid to the bottle and to swing outward upon its pivot to permit free discharge of the liquid. This valve-is by preference of concave-convex form in cross-section and disposed with its concaved side uppermost to conform t-o the spherical valve 9, which nor- ,mally rests thereon, as indicated by free lines at a in Fig. 1. With the parts in this position the weight of the ball 9 upon the valve `l1 presses the same firmly upon its seat and entirely precludes the introduction of liquid to the bottle through its neck, as will be readily understood. When, however, the bottle is tilted in the proper direction, the ball 9 will move to and occupy the position indicated f by dotted lines at b in Fig. l, thus permitting the liquid to flow freely over the same and outward through the reduced opening 8. If, however, the bottle be tilted in the wrong direction in an attempt to discharge its contents,the ball will move to the position indicated by dotted lines at c in Fig. l to close the openingS and prevent escape of liquid from the bottle. Thus it will be seen that in order to discharge the contents of the bottle `the same must be tilted in a certain direction, which will bringa predetermined point of its side wall downward for the purpose now to be explained.

Formed within thebody 2 of the bottle upon the side which will occupy the lowermost position in discharging the bottles contents and at a point just below the juncture of the body and neck is a chamber or receptacle l2, which communicates with the interior of the bottle through the means of an aperture 13,provided with adouble-ap valve 14, having one of its' flaps disposed within the chamber and its other flap disposed eX- ternally thereof, whereby the valve may close said aperture from either direction. In practice the valve 14 will be oscillated,`owing to the natural jarring attendant upon manipulating the bottle t'o discharge its contents, and this oscillating ofthe valve will permit a portion of ther liquid which when the bottle is held `in` proper `discharging position must flow over the wall of the chamber 12 to pass through the aperture 13 into the cham- IOO nal contents of the bottle have been dis-Y charged or partially discharged and will disclose whether or not the bottle has been fraudulently refilled or partially refilled; For eX- ample, should the chamber 12 appear full of liquid and the bottle but half full it would indicate that the bottle had been half relled, or should the chamber 12 appear but half full and the bottle f ull it would indicate that but half of the original contents of the bottle had been discharged and that the liquid had then been added to fill the bottle..

In Fig. 2 is shown a modification in which the valves controlling the neck of the bottle are identical in construction and operation with those above described, but in which the indicating-chamber 12', corresponding with the chamber l2, is disposed at the bottom of the bottle and has in its upper wall an aperture 13 controlled by a double-flap valve 14' identical in construction and operation with the valve 14, the difference in operation residing in the fact that the valve will be oscillated owing to the lifting and setting down of the bottle to permit gradual filling of the chamber 12 for the purpose above explained.

In Fig. 4 I have illustrated a slight modification of the iiap-valve, in which the ring 10 is enlarged transversely at one side, as at 15, and the valve hinged at a point diametrically opposite this enlargement, whereby the enlargement will form a firm seat for the valve at the point directly opposite its pivot.

In Fig. 5 there is disclosed another modication of the valve, in which two liaps 11l 11l are pivoted to the ring 10 at diametrically opposite points and are adapted when closed to overlap at their meeting edges, these flaps being semicircular in plan.

In Fig. 6 I have shown the ring 10' as provided above the flap-valve 11l with a perforated shield 16, which may be of concave-convex form in cross-section and disposed with its concavity upward to receive the ball-valve 9 whenthe parts are assembled in operative position. This shield serves to prevent the ready introduction of an instrument for tampering with the underlying valve and at the same time permits ready discharge of the liquid.

In Fig. 7 I have shown the bottle-neck 3 as provided in its upper chamber with cork-sustaining members 17 18 in the form of horizontal inwardlyprojecting radial fingers, upon which the lower end of the cork rests when in position in the bottle-neck, these lingers serving to prevent the cork from being pressed downward in the neck, as sometimes occurs in practice owing to the cork breaking during the operation of withdrawing it. Thus interference with the underlying valve by the cork is obviated, and the member 17, which projects outward from the wall of the neck a distance sufficient to entirely overlie the upper end of opening 8, to a large eX- tent prevents introduction of an instrument through said opening for tampering with the underlying valve.

In Figs. 8 and 9 is illustrated a modified form of valve for controlling admission of liquid to chamber 12 or 12', in which 19 is a short tubular member or eyelet of any suitable metal, to each end of which is pivoted ai flap-valve 20, one opening inward and the other outward. The parts are assembled by attaching one flap to the eyelet, inserting it through the aperture in the wall of the chamber, securing the eyelet in place, and then attaching the other flap. In practice the'operation of these valves will be substantially as that above described, the valves 2O swinging open when the bottle is tilted, thus admitting entrance of liquor to the chamber, and the inner valve closing permanently when the chamber is full of liquor, owing to pressure of the latter on the valve to prevent escape of the liquor.

In practice the parts will be assembled by turning the bottle bottom up and dropping the ball 9 into its neck, then inserting the ring 10, carrying the flap-valve, and lling the bottle through an opening in its bottom, said opening being permanently closed in any of a variety of methods which are well known in glass manufacturing. The chamber 12 is of course by preference formed upon the interior of the bottle during the course of manufacturing the same. With the form of bottle shown in Fig. 2 the same may be filled through an opening in its side near its bottom, or after the valves have been assembled in its neck and the bottle filled the chamber 12 may be applied thereto as a closure for the bottom.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I produce a device which is comparatively simple'of construction and one which will prevent refilling of the bottle under ordinary circumstances orindicate such refilling should it be accomplished. In attaining these ends I do not limit myself to the precise details herein shown and described, inasmuch as minor changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit or scopeof my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim isl 1. In a non-rellable bottle, the combination with a bottle and its neck, of a chamber disposed inthe bottle and having an aperture, and a valve controlling the aperture and operable for permitting gradual filling of the chamber. Y

2. In a non-reiillable bottle, the combina- IOO IIO

IZO

tion with a bottle and its neck, of valve mechanism disposed in the neck and permitting discharge when the bottle is tilted in one direction only, a chamber disposed in the bottle in the path of the outiiowing liquor, and means operable for permitting gradual lling of the chamber during discharge of the liquor.

3. In a non-refillable bottle, the combination with a bottle and its neck, of valve mechanism disposed in the neck and permitting discharge when the bottle is tilted in one direction only, a chamber disposed in the bottle in the path of the outowing liquor and provided With an aperture, and a valve controlling the aperture and operable for permitting gradual filling of the chamber.

4. In a non-rellable bottle, the combinamitting gradual lling of the chamber during discharge of the liquor.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD T. CURRAN.

Witnesses:

J. H. JOCHUM, Jr., J. Ross CoLHoUN. 

